according to the company. Its trapezoidal profile was borrowed from the Prius, another hybrid Toyota vehicle.

"This concept is the next evolution of the compact truck," said Kevin Hunter, president of Calty Design Research Inc, Toyota's North American-based research and design centre, in a statement.

The four-passenger pickup features a four-foot (1.2-metre-long) bed, while a translucent roof panel slides open to allow for tall cargo inside the cab. The bed can be extended by two-feet (0.61 metres) by folding down the pass-through mid gate into the cab and by another two feet by opening the tailgate.

The truck uses a uni body platform for improved handling and a smoother ride. Inside, there is a retractable portable navigation unit with a seven-inch (18-centimetre) screen and wireless internet,

while the centre console houses a portable battery pack.

Both the driver and front passenger have large display screens to view the status of their high-tech gadgets and climate and audio settings.

The A-BAT has solar panels atop the instrument panel to capture sunlight and convert it to energy, to assist in charging the navigation unit, battery pack and backlit information displays,